Monday Magazine
Guidelines for Freelance Writers

Monday Magazine is an award-winning alternative newspaper with a weekly circulation of 40,000. Monday concentrates
on current events and the arts in Victoria, and specializes in in-depth commentary and reporting.
A member of the Association of Alternative Newsweeklies, Monday began in 1975 as an alternative to the mainstream
press in the Greater Victoria area. We are a general interest magazine; our articles should engage our readers--Mr. and Ms.
Victoria.
We want stories written in a fresh, energetic magazine style with a beginning, middle and end. The writing should be
polished so it sparkles, the ideas should be well-considered and engaging. The topics should be compelling, intriguing and
unusual--and relevant to our educated, curious and passionate readership.

Querying an Editor
Monday is interested in freelance cover stories (1,500 to 3,000 words), feature articles (800 to 1,500 words) and arts
stories (250 to 450 words). We also use CD reviews of up to 150 words and book reviews of either 150 words or 400
words.
You may submit a finished article, but a brief written query that outlines several story ideas is preferred. Include potential
sources and the proposed angle for each story idea. Suggest an appropriate length. Indicate how the piece may be
illustrated.
Monday is currently not interested in columns.
If you have not written for Monday before, provide a one-page resume and no more than three clippings.
Make sure your name, address and daytime phone numbers are on the query.
No phone calls please.
Address cover stories and feature article queries to the Editor. Address arts stories to the Arts Editor. We prefer e-mail
(no attachments please) or hard copy. Submissions should be dated and include a SASE if you want the submission
returned. Queries that are time-sensitive (pertaining to an upcoming event) should be labelled as such.
Please also allow 4 to 6 weeks for a response to queries, and up to three months for a response to unsolicited articles. If
we want to use your piece, don’t worry, we’ll get back to you.

Payment and Copyright
Freelance submissions are accepted on spec only and payment is given after publication. Monday has not set a per-word
rate, but payment is usually around 10 cents per word, and one dollar of the payment is understood to pay for the right to
use the story on Monday’s website. Monday does not pay kill fees. Monday buys first serial rights and reserves the right to
use stories for promotional and publicity purposes, including on our website. After publication, all other rights revert to the
author.
e-mail: Attn: Editor or Arts Editor, editorial@mondaymag.com
regular mail: Attn: Editor or Arts Editor
Monday Magazine, 818 Broughton Street, Victoria, BC V8W 1E4



Monday Magazine Guidelines--LAST WORD

The "Last Word" is a space for readers’ personal essays: poignant, thoughtful writing infused with the author's character and
perspective.
We look for carefully constructed essays that illustrate a theme. They should have more individuality than pure expository
writing, a richer voice than opinion writing, and a deeper message than anecdotal writing. Humour pieces, especially told in
the first person, are welcome.
"Last Word" submissions are subject to the same editing and fact-checking as the rest of Monday Magazine's content to
maintain high standards of accountability, consistency, precision and accuracy.
Submissions should be between 800 and 1,000 words, and can be e-mailed (lastword@mondaymag.com), mailed (will be
returned only with a SASE; 818 Broughton Street, Victoria, BC, V8W 1E4), faxed (250-381-2662), or dropped off at
our office (818 Broughton).
We do not accept simultaneous submissions, and generally prefer work that has not been previously published.
Due to the volume of submissions received, we can only respond to those being considered for use. Response time is
usually 4-6 weeks, but can be as long as three months. If we want to use your piece, you will hear from us. If you submit
your piece elsewhere before you've heard from us, please let us know.


How to Get Your Photo into Monday’s “Scene”


Get a great shot. Show us something about Victoria we haven’t seen before--or if we have, show us a new way of
looking at it. We like pictures that tell a story, pictures that surprise us, and pictures that make us think. We also like sunsets
and colourful flowers, but they don’t look good on newsprint in black and white, so don’t send them! You can shoot in
black and white or colour, but we can only print in black and white. Colour pictures should have strong images that will
reproduce well in shades of grey.

Quality counts. A clever picture is nothing without sharp focus and decent lighting.

Tell us about the picture. Include details about where you took the picture, what inspired you to take it, and how you
went about getting it (especially if it’s taken from an unusual angle or vantage point). If there are people in the picture, tell
us their names. We might not use this information in the accompanying text, but we still need to know.

Tell us who you are. Include your name, address and daytime phone number with your pictures. Write it on the back
of your prints, put it on your email.

Get them in. Send in your prints, preferably 4”x 6”. Include a self-addressed, stamped envelope (SASE) only if you want
them back. No exceptions. We’re not responsible for what happens to your pics if you don’t supply that essential SASE.

Go digital. We love e-mailed pictures because they save us time—they can go directly into the computer. If you have a
scanner, scan your pics at high resolution (at least 300 dpi is great). If you have a digital camera, use the highest resolution it
offers. Attach jpegs or paste your pictures directly into the e-mail message.

Be patient. Just because you haven’t heard back from us, doesn’t mean we don’t like your pictures. Sometimes we love
them, but we’ve just printed similar ones, so we’re waiting. Sometimes we love them, but there are lots of other ones we
also love, so your photo is waiting for its turn. And, sometimes, yes, we don’t think they’re up to scratch. If we’re going to
use them, we’ll let you know.

And finally: “You printed my picture. How do I get my loot?”
Easy. To claim your film and enlargement, just stop by Prism Photo, at 791 Fort Street, and prove you’re the photographer
in question. The good folks at Prism will take care of you.

Send your Scene photos to:
The Editor, Monday Magazine
818 Broughton, Victoria BC, V8W 1E4
or e-mail to scene@mondaymag.com

Updated June 24, 2004


Alisa Gordaneer
Editor, Monday Magazine
818 Broughton, Victoria BC
V8W 1E4 Canada
250-382-6188
www.mondaymag.com